How to Ruin a Perfect Blog Post in 6 Easy Steps

Have you been bitten by the blog-bug? Over the last decade, blogs have been one of the most popular spaces on the internet – and for great reason too! They’re a wonderful podium for new information, they work wonders to send new traffic to your website, and they’re great for your SEO.

We’ve been in the blogging game for quite some time here at the Wix Blog. From beautifully executed blog posts, to content we wish never saw the light of day, it’s safe to say that we’ve learned our share of lessons on what works and what should have never been written.

So allow us to share with you our cautionary tale on how to write a blog that will be destined to fail.

It’s Your Blog, Write For Yourself

Your blog is your platform to share whatever it is you want with the world. Write about whatever subject you see fit, no matter how random and off-brand it may be.

What a pro would do:
A pro would know that blogs are some of the most trusted sources to gain new information online, so they’d make sure to offer only the content that their target audience finds most relevant and valuable. Remember, if you don’t know who your audience is, most chances are they won’t know who you are either.

When Your Blog Is So Great, Why Would You Want Anyone to Leave it?

So what if blogs have potential to send new traffic to your website? Sabotage a great blog by keeping it free of any additional links.

What a pro would do:A pro would use their blog to link and drive traffic to their website. Any pro knows that blogs are a leading source of new traffic and companies with blogs see an increase of 97% more clicks to their website. As a side note, don’t be afraid to occasionally link to great information or resources outside your website. Adding links to third-party websites puts your blog in conversation with other brands, encourages publishers to link back to your content, and can even be beneficial to your SEO.

Add an Artistic Edge By Using Blurry Images

Beautiful images are so mainstream. Show your crowd that you think outside the box by using unprofessional looking images.

What a pro would do:
Pros show readers that they value their readership by using high-res, high quality photos. They make their content easy and fun to consume by using images, graphs and videos to illustrate their points. And most important: Pros make sure that their blog posts will continue to reach viewers by adding alt text to each and every new image they upload.

Any Boring Blog Design Will Do

What a pro would do:
Someone who takes pride in their work would create a beautiful custom designed blog to showcase their articles! A great place to start is with one of Wix’s free blog templates.

No One Judges Blog Articles By Their Title

It’s a known fact: no one has ever read an article simply because it had a catchy title, so don’t bother putting too much thought into what you name your articles.

What a pro would do:
Professional bloggers would research engaging subject lines that encourage people to read their content. Not sure how to write a compelling title that drives clicks? Start by reading these 7 tips on how to write a winning title.

Don’t Bother Promoting Your Content

Your blog is all about you, so it doesn’t really matter if anyone visits it, right?

What a pro would do:A pro would want to promote their blog to the whole wide world! They’d use Wix ShoutOut to easily promote their new content to their subscribers. They’d also add their social media sharing options to their blog so that readers can easily share articles in a single click.